The truth is in the chart. Uncertainty is good for gold. The election is good for gold. As MarketWatch referenced, “‘Gold is focusing on the election and less on a December hike only because volatility following the election could potentially put the Fed on hold’ said Bill Baruch, chief market strategist at iiTrader.” This chart indicates that the closer to election we get, regardless of Fed positioning or even who wins, gold stands to have attractive potential.

While cash can act as a safety barrier in unsavory market environments, it is also a considerable indicator of timid money holders. But $50 trillion is a large sum to be insecure about. This massive amount highlights exactly how investors must be feeling. As Lisa Abramowicz reported in Bloomberg, “That’s almost three times the annual economic output of the U.S., the world’s biggest economy. It’s more than twice as much as the balance sheets of all the biggest central banks combined. If even a fraction of this cash starts to move into stocks, bonds or other assets, it could have a significant effect.”

Zhang Monan, a fellow of the China Information Center, reports that, “As it stands, there is far less direct investment between China and the EU than there is between China and its other large trading partners, including the US and Brazil.” This trend further confirms the once solitary Asian powerhouse shifting outwards, seeking to further its global influence. After joining the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) special drawing rights (SDR), or “word money” basket, China continues to be on the move – and that is important to keep watch of.

Trouble sleeping? If you are in one of these states, chances are you are not alone – and election woes could be triggering it. As the Wall Street Journal reported, the first presidential debate in September saw significant disruption in people’s sleep patterns. Interestingly, the east coast of the US (an area filled with swing states) experienced an even greater amount of sleep loss than others. The measurement was taken by Fitbit and other wearable technology companies that have aggregate data on sleep patterns for those that wear their device while sleeping. If the first debate had sleep disruption, November 8th can’t be looking any better.

As the unabated ZeroHedge writer Tyler Durden noted on the lackluster numbers, “This begs the question how many of the 161K jobs “added” were double counted as a result of the ongoing rise in the number of multiple jobholders. So yes: overall job growth continues to chug along – and paradoxically wages continue to grow – if at a modestly disappointing pace at least in October, but the quality of the added jobs remains woeful.” As a Daily Reckoning reader, you are likely already skeptical of any jobs figures released. The latest numbers only confirm any lingering doubt.

According to recent polling from a Suffolk University/USA Today release, the general electorate believes that the media is more likely than Russian hackers to fix the election. The data finds that within those surveyed a sentiment that “the political establishment” was the second “most-suspected” group to tamper the election. November 9th could prove as interesting to watch as November 8th.

About Craig Wilson:

Craig Wilson is the Daily Reckoning’s Associate Editor. Prior working at Agora Financial, he was a researcher and writer who covered economics and international affairs. His work has appeared in The Nation, Bill Moyers, Tom Dispatch and various other outlets. Craig holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs.